Sober few shun PR glitz for academe

You may gripe about pay and work, but academics take heart - at least one student in your seminar room probably wants to be you, writes Paul Hill.

When hundreds of students across the country were asked to rate their preferred careers, one in 12 said they wanted to work in higher education.

A life of scholarship held similar appeal for students at old and new universities, although slightly more men (8.6 per cent) than women (6.7 per cent) said they wanted to be an academic.

The most popular career choice among students, however, was advertising, public relations, broadcasting and the media - selected by 47 per cent of a panel of 1,000 students from 171 universities and colleges.

The survey paints an intriguing picture of modern student life, revealing a strong appetite for tabloid newspapers, fast food and even voting at the next general election.